Kate Murzin, director of National Programs at Realize, talks to IN about the organization’s commitment to supporting the aging HIV community in Canada, by promoting the integration of rehabilitation into their care, treatment and support…
HIV treatment has come a long way since the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. With the proper medication, people living with HIV can keep the virus under control and live long and healthy lives. However, with a longer life comes other health issues and a resultant increase in the complexity of treatment. Moreover, the needs, wishes and experiences of older adults living with or vulnerable to HIV are often not discussed. That’s where Realize comes in. Formed in 1998, Realize (formerly the Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation) has a core focus of promoting innovation and excellence in rehabilitation in the context of HIV and other chronic and potentially episodic conditions. They also work to bridge the traditionally separate worlds of HIV, disability and rehabilitation through research, education and cross-sector partnerships.
Kate Murzin has been working in the HIV community since 2007 and has been working with Realize since 2013 when she joined the Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (now Realize) as a Master of Public Health practicum student and subsequently took over and grew the organization’s HIV and aging portfolio. Today, as the Director of National Programs, Murzin continues to focus on the health and well-being of aging and older people living with or vulnerable to HIV and coordinates the work of the Program Team.
We sat down with her to find out more about the unique challenges of people aging with HIV in Canada, and the supports available through organizations like Realize.
What services does Realize offer?
We provide a variety of educational tools and resources, as well as opportunities to get involved in advocacy, research and knowledge sharing. We convene the National Coordinating Committee on HIV and Aging (NCC), and offer blended learning course for health and social care providers focused on how to best support people aging with HIV. We are a founding member of the International Coalition of Older People with HIV, and are working on a variety of research projects including a global project (funded by ViiV Healthcare) to develop tools and resources on sexuality and sexual health for older people and those who provide services to this demographic.
Why is it important to focus on people living with HIV who are 50 years old and older?
People with HIV are living longer because of good treatment options, and one quarter of new HIV diagnoses occur in those age 50 or older. People living with HIV may be more likely to develop other chronic illnesses and live with more illness/disability at younger ages due to chronic inflammation; also, the same determinants of health that increase a person’s risk of HIV exposure also mean people who are living and aging with HIV are more vulnerable to a poor quality of life.
What are some of the barriers to care for people aging with HIV?
Service providers in the aging sector may not be familiar with the unique life course experiences of people living long-term with HIV, as they have not worked with this population before. And these service providers often have not received any training to address the stigma that still persists about HIV transmission. Both of these realities can lead to poor aging care experiences. Ageism, ableism and HIV stigma, whether enacted or internalized, can intersect to form a significant barrier to accessing care/support, both in the HIV sector and in mainstream health and aging services. Our healthcare system does not cover services that are crucial to quality of life for people aging with HIV, including rehabilitation, dental care and dentures, sensory aids, over-the-counter medication and some screening tests.
Can you tell us more about the study that is currently underway on Financial Empowerment for Healthy Aging with HIV?
One of the things we have learned through our recent HIV and aging research is that many older people with HIV are living in precarity – they experience food and housing insecurity, and worry that, as costs of living increase, the gap between their resource needs and their assets will continue to widen. This study (which is Ontario-focused, in English and French; it is funded by the Ontario HIV Treatment Network) aims to find out what their financial empowerment needs are. This includes their financial literacy, their knowledge of income supports and benefits programs, their access to low- or no-cost financial counselling, and their ability to borrow money without being charged excessive interest. We are also conducting focus groups with service providers from community-based HIV organizations and clinics to find out more about their capacity to support people aging with HIV. By March 2025, we will have summarized the findings and be able to make recommendations for policy and practice change to enhance access to financial services and supports for people aging with HIV.
To learn more about Realize and resources available to support PLHIV, visit www.realizecanada.org. To learn more about ViiV Healthcare Canada, visit www.viivhealthcare.ca.
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